Te Mata Estate held a tasting of fifteen vintages of Coleraine, stretching back more than forty years. It was an extraordinary opportunity to look at innovation and continuation within Coleraine’s development, and how the wine UK press called ‘beating heart of Hawke’s Bay in vinous form’ has evolved over four decades.
This event carried real significance for us as a team, as a family, and as a winery.
At the suggestion of Bordeaux expert Neal Martin at Vinous (his write-up is below), this was a deep dive on Te Mata’s winemaking and a remarkable gathering of fifteen of the UK’s top wine writers, sommeliers, and trade guests from some of London’s most respected fine wine merchants.
To get to share these wines personally, and to see them recognised and understood by fine wine professionals, reflects generations of work at Te Mata and a new era. It was a proud moment for Hawke’s Bay wine and the larger story of New Zealand wine – a testament to how far age-able reds from New Zealand have come on the world stage.
There were common threads that ran through every glass and every bottle: freshness, depth, elegance and energy. This was a celebration of both a unique wine vision, and consistency of quality – a confirmation of Coleraine’s place as a modern New Zealand icon.
Seen like this, the legacy of the wine was evident. More than ever before, Coleraine is made to elite contemporary standards, as well as benchmark-setting cellaring ability.
Created entirely in Hawke’s Bay, by a dedicated and independent team who continue to push it forward – this is wine that inspires conversation, respect, and admiration, whenever it is enjoyed, around the globe.
Te Mata Coleraine: 1982-2023
Neal Martin, Vinous, November 26, 2025
‘Allow me to step on my colleague Rebecca Gibb MW’s turf for one moment. Perusing a merchant’s list a few months ago, a particular wine caught my eye: the 1982 Coleraine from Te Mata Estate. Aside from being born during the primordial period of New Zealand’s wine industry, this wine has historical significance: it was the maiden release of this flagship Bordeaux blend.
I snapped it up. It was not particularly expensive, certainly less expensive than its 1982 contemporaries from elsewhere in the world. Having kept in touch with the Buck family since I handed over coverage, I contacted Toby Buck, curious to see if many bottles were extant in their own library. To cut a long story short, the exchange led to a vertical tasting through Te Mata’s U.K. importer (J.E Fells & Co), which took place in September of this year during Buck’s visit to London with winemaker Phil Brodie.
Te Mata’s history stretches back to the mid-nineteenth century, ‘Te Mata Station’ having been established by English immigrant John Chambers in 1854.
Three parcels of vines were planted towards the end of the century. Under Bernard Chambers, the estate expanded viticulture so that by 1909, it had become the country’s largest producer. Whereas most of the grape production was used to make fortified wines, Te Mata vinified a small amount of dry wine. It only just managed to survive New Zealand’s temperance movement, and in 1974, the estate was acquired by the present co-owners, the Buck and Morris families.’
“From 1982 to 1988, Coleraine came from a single vineyard planted in 1900 in the Havelock Hills,” Buck explained. It had been over a decade since we had last met. “The varieties were based on Château Latour, although the first vintage did not contain any Cabernet Franc.”
I wondered about the origins of the name: “Coleraine is the river port in County Derry, Northern Ireland, where my great-grandfather on my dad’s side of the family, Samuel Morrow, came from,” said Buck. The etymology is Cuil Raithin, which means ‘nook of ferns’. The Morrows had a hardware business in Coleraine, but in 1908, at just 20 years old, Samuel emigrated to New Zealand. He settled on the East Coast just above Hawke’s Bay, selling hardware to rural communities. Family stories suggest his departure was sudden – more of a ‘get on the next boat’ escape than a planned migration. Because he could never return to Europe, the name Coleraine stayed with our family in New Zealand as a mark of our origin – a distant but tough place.”
“To us, it was a reminder of a wider world and a grand remembrance of life, family, community and conviviality. When the vineyard at Te Mata Estate was established, dad chose to name it Coleraine as a tribute to Samuel Morrow and the family story. It was also a way of putting this epic-sounding, evocative moniker – one that he had grown up with – out there in the public eye. In a sense, conjuring it back into reality. To him, it was this beautiful lyrical name to stand proudly among other grand names.”
Phil Brodie explained the origins of the vineyard: “From 1982 to 1988, the Coleraine came from a single vineyard planted in 1900 and originally called The Hill. In 1989, it became a blend of pickings in order to represent the best of the vintage. From 1994 onward, Coleraine is still based on the Havelock Hills with some fruit coming from the other subregion of Bridge Pa Triangle, and occasionally a sprinkling from the Dartmoor and Gimblett Gravels subregions. It follows the idea that a wine is greater than the sum of its parts, exploiting differences in soil, orientation and so forth. Te Mata Estate owns all vineyards, and we use our own bottling line, so we have full control.”
“I have been making the wine at Te Mata for 33 years,” Brodie continued. “I grew up on a sheep farm, so I was always outside, always walking through vineyards. We changed the viticulture in 2019 when we began using cover crops and mulching to lower soil temperatures in the vineyard. We also began to mechanically shake the vines when bunches reached 80 to 100 grams, to remove unripe berries. We started doing that with white varieties, and now the reds. We found that this temporarily shuts down the vine, resulting in smaller berries and thicker skins, which means we can use fewer sprays.”
“We use open-top tanks and plunge the fruit. We used to do four plunges, but now with smaller berries and older vines with more extract, it’s twice daily. There’s a seven-day fermentation, then we taste the must to decide when to halt the maceration, using only free-run juice and practicing a lot of co-inoculation rather than letting the wine sit on the gross lees. This helps avoid the risk of contamination, Brettanomyces and so on. The wine spends 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels with around 30% new wood. In 2017, we initiated a five-year program with a cooperage in Saint-Estèphe to design a barrel suitable for our Cabernet Sauvignon.”
‘Admittedly, I assumed the 1982 Coleraine would be in decline after 43 years. Not in the slightest. I was startled by its vivacity and complexity, both undimmed after all these years.
Incidentally, this was the only vintage of Coleraine that employed a little American oak. I would have no hesitation dropping it into a lineup of 1982 clarets to see if anyone noticed the imposter. I preferred the 1982 to the more savoury, meaty 1985.
Thereafter, I was impressed by Coleraine’s consistency. Vintages such as 1996, 2007, 2013 and 2020 were highlights, though they only had their noses in front of a clutch of other impressive wines. What a pleasure it was to be reminded of the quality, classic stylishness and inherent longevity of one of New Zealand’s icons.
Henceforth, I will peruse merchants’ lists carefully in case I spot any other bottles of Coleraine. I recommend you do likewise.’
Original article here. Additional images from Te Mata Estate.
Neal Martin Vinous
2013 Coleraine 95 Points
Drinking Window: 2026 – 2045
The 2013 Coleraine has a seductive bouquet with blackcurrant, raspberry coulis and blood orange scents, beautifully defined with a little more panache and charm than the 2009. The palate has a satin-like texture on the entry, moderate depth, sleek and sensual with a plush but restrained finish that demonstrates real sophistication. Classy from start to finish, this is a beautiful Coleraine that will give many years’ drinking pleasure.
2007 Coleraine 95 Points
Drinking Window: 2025 – 2045
The 2007 Coleraine initially has a tighter, less expressive bouquet than the 2004, demands more coaxing though there is a similar fruit profile with blackberry, cedar and perhaps a touch more pressed flowers. Impressive delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with finely sculpted tannins that carry layers of mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, allspice and Chinese 5-spice. This is very detailed on the finish with gentle grip: a wonderful Coleraine that will give 15, perhaps even 20 years of drinking pleasure.
2020 Coleraine 94 Points
Drinking Window: 2027 – 2052
The 2020 Coleraine has a bit more flair and purity on the nose compared to the 2019 with perfumed black cherries, cassis, violet and incense aromas, the oak a little more integrated by direct comparison. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a keen line of acidity, a little more powdery in texture but you cannot help but be seduced by the harmony, pepperiness and length on the finish. One of the best Coleraine vintages in recent years.
1996 Coleraine 94 Points
Drinking Window: 2025 – 2040
The 1996 Coleraine is less flamboyant and concentrated compared to the previous vintage, but this has more delineation and complexity with cedar and tobacco infused red berry fruit, hints of bay leaf and wild mint. Very focused, very classy. The palate is medium-bodied with attractive piquancy and spiciness towards the finish. Old World beautifully married with New World. Superb.
1982 Coleraine 94 Points
Drinking Window: 2025 – 2038
The 1982 Coleraine was the first commercialised vintage, an anomaly since it is the only vintage with a small percentage of American oak as there was a shortage of French oak in New Zealand. To say this surpasses my expectations is an understatement. It has a glorious, yes, Bordeaux-like nose, a doppelgänger for a Left Bank ’82: bright and vivid brambly red fruit with superb delineation and focus. Just a hint of dark chocolate emerges with time, betraying its non-Bordeaux roots. The palate is medium-bodied and driven by the silver thread of acidity. Quite a sweet core of red plum and crushed strawberry, silky smooth with ample weight on the finish, to my own surprise this historic New Zealand wine is nowhere near the end of its drinking window.
2021 Coleraine 93 Points
Drinking Window: 2027 – 2050
The 2021 Coleraine has another very intense nose not dissimilar to the 2019: layers of blackcurrant, cedar and violet, though not the same level of mineralité as the 2020. Then again, the aromatics improve in the glass and reveal very appealing graphite/pencil shavings scents that lend it a Left Bank allure. The palate is medium-bodied with a keen line of acidity. Fresh and vibrant, this is endowed with plenty of graphite infused black fruit with impressive precision on the finish. I was tentative about this Coleraine at first, but it eventually wins you over.
2023 Coleraine 92 Points
Drinking Window: 2028 – 2048
The 2023 Coleraine comes from the longest ever growing season and the second hottest on record. Unsurprisingly it has a very concentrated nose with dense blackberry, cassis, espresso and star anis, just a touch of pencil box with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine bead of acidity, silky tannins, very harmonious with just the right amount of sapidity on the finish. Fans out beautifully, though it just needs a little more persistence that may well manifest with time.
Only a small amount of Coleraine is available each year.
2026 will be the 40th release of Coleraine as Te Mata also celebrates its 130th anniversary.
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